


DON'T YOU DARE

by Spectrum_Light



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU, F/M, Tumblr: heunqtan, prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-11-28
Packaged: 2018-04-02 04:07:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4045303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spectrum_Light/pseuds/Spectrum_Light
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU PROMPT by tumblr user heunqtan: "i lost my little brother at the grocery store and you found him and now it seems like you two are best friends and he doesn’t wanna lose contact with you so it seems like i’ll have to get your number - at least youre hella cute” THIS COULD TURN INTO A SERIES IF THERE'S INTEREST</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. SEBASTIAN

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt by Tumblr user heunqtan: "i lost my little brother at the grocery store and you found him and now it seems like you two are best friends and he doesn’t wanna lose contact with you so it seems like i’ll have to get your number - at least youre hella cute”

**i lost my little brother at the grocery store and you found him and now it seems like you two are best friends and he doesn’t wanna lose contact with you so it seems like i’ll have to get your number - at least youre hella cute” au**

* * *

 

“SEBASTIAN, WHERE ARE YOU?! SEB, C’MON!.... WE CAN GET ICE CREAM AND THAT STUPID CEREAL THAT YOU WANT! you little bastard, where are you?!”I feel like was talking to myself as I run around the grocery store.

One minute I’m telling my 8 year old step-brother that no, he cannot have the sugar-soaked, unnaturally bright cereal and the next minute he’s running screaming ‘I HATE YOU, NESSA. I HATE YOU AND YOUR BORING CEREAL!!’

As I yell promises of sugar and rainbow cereal, creeping worry begins to rise up my throat. Oh no, oh no, oh no. Amy, my step-mom, is officially going to kill me.

“SEBASTIAN!!! YOU LITTLE BAST-MONKEY, WHERE ARE YOU??”

Even as I attract stares as yell up the isles, I begin to run scenarios in my head.

_He’s hiding in the fresh produce section and is probably using a watermelon as a football._

_A random stranger offered him cereal and now’s he’s driving off with them._

_One of Amy’s friends is here, found him and is telling her as we speak._

_He’s standing right in front of me._

He’s standing right in front of me.

“SEBASTIAN!!! Oh my GOD!” I (not so mildly) scream as I scoop him up in a bear hug as he fights me off.

“Not now! Nessa, get off!” Sebastian pushes off me embarrassedly.

I take a step back, to scold him, when I notice a stranger standing next to us with a _very_ amused expression painted over his face. Seb himself moves back to stand next to the stranger.

“I..Um..u.ah” I struggle with my words as I attempt to speak with the man.

Oh, and by the way, since I don’t think I mentioned it, this stranger also happens to be a walking, breathing, blond Adonis. _Keep your chill, Vanessa_ I chide myself, _he only looks like a walking god_. Cutting through my trance, my little brother unwittingly saves me from myself.

“Vanessa, this is Steve. When I decided to go to the park across the street, I sorta, kinda, nearlygothitbyacar,”

“WHAT?!”

“Just wait. See, I’m fine. SO, then Steve walks up, we started talking and he said we should come find you!!!! I even told him how you wouldn’t let me get my cereal, but he still said it was a good idea to go back. He’s awesome, right?” My brother then sums it up with that big, toothy grin that makes ya feel like you’re looking straight at the Sun.

I let out a long sigh as I struggle to remain angry at my idiotic little brother and his very attractive friend. With nothing else to say, I thank the random stranger.

“Thank you SO MUCH for bringing him back. I was REALLY worried. He’s only eight and sometimes we have our….. differences… about cereal. I’m honestly so thankful that you stopped him from getting hit by a car. If there’s anything I could do for you, I’d be happy to help.”

As soon as the words fly from my mouth not only do I realise that first, the last bit sounded like innuendo (oh GoD n o), but also that I’ve GRABBED his stunning FREAKIN’ HAND. As smoothly as I can pull off, I step back while withdrawing my hand. _Well done, Vanessa,_ I think, _you practically propositioned him and then groped his hand while doing it._ I grabbed Seb’s hand and turn to face _Steve_ when I notice that, in fact, I am not the only one blushing. THIS GREEK GOD IS BLUSHING BECAUSE I GRABBED HIS HAND. OH GOD NO, ABORT, ABORT. ABORT MISSION!!

Deciding that I had done enough embarrassing for the day, I mumble a terrified goodbye and turn to leave. Then my _darling_ brother just has to make things more complicated.

“What??! Nessa, no! I don’t want to leave yet. Steve’s my friend!!”

 He throws my hand away and almost tackles Steve. I stand gobsmacked; not that Seb chosen a stranger over me (it’s happened before; long story). It’s the fact that Steve just smiles down at him and ruffles his hair. They’ve know each other, what, 10 minutes max?! Seb doesn’t let anyone, I MEAN ANYONE, touch his hair! He must take at least 10 minutes _every_ morning to spike it up and Steve _gets to touch the hair_. It’s at this moment that something shifts in my chest; somehow, I have a tickling feeling that this _Steve_ is not going to just disappear. And honestly, I’m not sure how I feel about that.

“Nessa, c’mon! Don’t be a meanie! Let Steve walk with us while you shop! Please, please, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaase Nessa! Otherwise…. Otherwise…. I’ll tell Amy that you let me cross the road by myself!”

I SWEAR TO –THAT LITTLE – ARGH! Steve looks prepared to apologise or laugh, but I just nod and walk away. Let’s get this over with.

Seb punches the air in excitement, grabs Steve’s wrist and runs forward to match pace with me. Steve and Seb talk nonstop and it creates an almost comfortable backdrop as I walk around. Occasionally, Seb grabs something off the shelf, which I replace whenever he turns away, but even then he doesn’t stop talking. I start humming to myself as the boys continue to endlessly talk.

“So, it’s Vanessa, right?” Steve speaks, breaking me violently out of my own thoughts.

As is becoming my style, I stumble before talking, “Uh, um, yeah. That’s me.”

He nods slightly before speaking again, “So…. Where do you work?”

I give him a sideways glance at the slightly awkward conversation opener, but I decided to take the bait anyway, “Well, I’m just out of NYU with a biochem degree, so I’m looking for a research job. But for the moment, I work in a diner. What about you?”

He looks surprised, THEN BLUSHES AGAIN (LORD, SPARE ME), nods, nods _again_ before spluttering out “Oh, ok. Me, I’m… Ex-military. I’m currently in veterans’ affairs. But yeah, that’s pretty awesome... The biochem degree! It must’ve been difficult going through college with a kid.”

I felt like the rhythm of the conversation was finally smoothing out. Hey, this isn’t so ba- Hang on. _It must’ve been difficult going through college with a kid…._ Where did her get that ide- Oh no, he wouldn- Not Seb, he’s my BROT-

“WHAT?! NO! Seb is my STEP-BROTHER! I’m 24 and Seb’s 8…. No, no, NO. GOD! I just hang out with him on weekends to gives Amy and Dad a break! God, Seb, my kid?! NO!...Ah….. I’m sorry about my outburst. I was just a little… stunned.”

I’VE MADE HIM BLUSH AGAIN, BY GOD SINCE WHEN HAVE I HAD THE ABILITY TO MAKE GODS FLUSH?! WHAT IS THIS?!? HE’S EVEN REDDER THAN BEFORE!! LOOK AT HIM; HE’S TRYING REALLY HARD TO APOLOGISE, BUT HE’S SO EMBARRASSED HE CAN BARELY SPEAK. OH DEAR LORD, SAVE ME! THIS MAN, _THIS BOY_ , LOOKS LIKE HE’S ABOUT TO PASS OUT. SEB, YOU IDIOT, STOP LAUGHING. GOD, WHY ME? WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS EXTREMELY HOT, ADORABLE, BLUSHING ADONIS IN MY LIFE?!?!

I take some breaths, calm myself and defuse the situation. Steve apologies profusely, using phrases that I haven’t heard outside my grandmother’s house, and we all go about our business.

* * *

 

Eventually I realise that I really can’t buy anything else and that I really don’t want to stop talking to Steve (C’mon, Vanessa, woman up!). As I come to this realisation, Steve also turns to look at his watch. His eyes widen slightly and before I know it, we’re all running to checkout. Steve mumbles about ‘a stupid meeting he _really_ needs to go to’ and ‘of course, the one day he actually has something better to do’ (STOP SMILING VANESSA, HE’S TALKING ABOUT SEBASTIAN!). We rush though the checkout, reach the shop’s doors and pause.

Seb’s almost in tears at the thought of Steve leaving and I must say, my feelings are similar.

He’s just so _kind_ ; like honest to God he just does whatever it is because he didn’t even think about it, it’s just his instinctual right thing to do. Steve also treats Sebastian really well; ‘ _judge a person on how they treat their inferiors’_ and all that jazz. He also has an amusingly peculiar perspective on everything;

Steve: ‘ _What the hell is that?_ ’

…

Me: ‘ _Um, a price-checker_?’

Steve: ‘ _oh. yeah. Stupid me, my head’s in the clouds. Sorry, anyway…_ ’

 

“Well, ma’a- Vanessa! It’s been a, uh, pleasure.”

“But I don’t WANT YOU TO GO STEVE!!”

(Don’t worry guys, that wasn’t me.)  Seb screams this out to the world and attaches himself to Steve’s leg. Steve looks slightly awkward until he simply smiles and bends down to speak with Seb. They talk for a while until Seb ends up wiping his nose on his sleeve and nodding enthusiastically. Steve walks over to his bike, sits down, takes a notebook from his pocket and scribbles something down. He beckons to me and with slight butterflies in my stomach (STOP IT, EVERYBODY JUST CALM. THE. HELL. DOWN. PLEASE), I walk forwards. I get almost intimately close before he starts talking. (SHUT UP ME, YOU’RE NOT THAT CLOSE... ACTUALLY, YOU ARE…. STEP BACK, STEP BACK, BEEP BEEP BEEP, REVERSE THE FUCK UP!)

“I was wondering, *ahem*, if you would like to grab a coffee sometime? I mean, you don’t have to tell me now. Sebastian told me you would be cool with this, so….. Here. Hopefully, I’ll see you soon.”

After pressing something into my hand and giving me a smile that could melt a winter, he put on his helmet and rode away. Vaguely, I thought that I must look like an idiot, smiling on the pavement. Eventually, I come back to earth and look at the piece of paper in my hand.

**(212) 555 0018 Steve : >)**

oH LoRD HAVE MERCY, HE DREW A FREAKIN’ SMILEY FACE!!!!


	2. Pick Up the Phone

_Pick up the phone, Vanessa._

No.

_Pick it up._

No.

_Pick up the bloody phone._

No.

_FOR FUCK’S SAKE VANESSA-_

“FINE, I’LL DO IT!”

After the vigorous argument with myself, I press the taunting little phone icon next to his name. The calling screen appears and I very nearly throw the phone across the room. Calm yourself, Vanessa, this is gonna be easy.

“Hello?”

NOPE NOPE NOPEITY NOPE.

“Yeah, um, hi, yeah, um, this is, um, Vanessa. I was just chasing up that coffee date. I don’t know if you remember but-“

“Of course, I remember.”

_Oh._

“Oh, right…”

I rattle off a cafe that Steve instantly agrees to (thank God), before I realise something, “Is, um, Sebastian coming along?”

He pauses, as both of us realise that we are completely unsure of the dynamic of this ‘date’. He quickly tumbles over a ‘yes’ and I scold myself when I realise that my heart dropped slightly. We exchange quick, soft goodbyes, and I hang up the phone. I collapse onto my couch and drop my phone to the ground. Oh dear, what have I done?

* * *

 

As I park, Sebastian begins to bounce and looks like he’s prepared to leap out the window if I don’t stop quickly. The moment the engine dies, the door’s open and he’s gone. I swear to myself and jump out of the car as I watch his blue sweater flash in and out of sight.

“Seb? Sebastian! Come here, for goodness sake, what are you doing?”

He looks up at me without pausing in the running of his circles, “I want to go see Steve! Why are you so slow Nessa? We’ll be late!!!! Come on!!”

I reach my hand towards Seb and allow myself to be practically dragged in the direction of the café. It begins to loom in front of us and I decide that where I need to be right now is somewhere else. I dig in my heels, but I’m suddenly released and I almost fall over out of surprise. Seb launches himself at Steve (sadly, I’m not even kidding), which everyone in the vicinity seems to find utterly adorable. I awkwardly (what else were you expecting?) follow behind, tuck my hair behind both ears, and take a breath. Steve notices my presence immediately and gives me this _gorgeous_ smile before shaking my hand. ( _Righto._ ) He gestures to a table and Seb spares no time to practically drag his chair on top of Steve’s while I politely take a seat on the other side of the table. Sebastian commandeers the conversation instantly, but I just go with it, unlike Steve, who seems to be trying to fight the tide.

“I had a hockey game yesterday!”

“That’s super, Sebastian. So, Vanessa, how are y-“

“We lost. Which sucks, but Mom let me get ice cream afterwards!”

“Oh that’s too bad, buddy. As I was saying, -“

“I got strawberry, but Mum got vanilla cos she’s BORING. Dad got raspberry or something. It was kinda icky.”

“Ok, yeah, um, I like strawberry. But, Vanessa-“

“She wasn’t there. She was at her friend’s house, CAUSE ALEX IS MORE IMPORTANT, I GUESS!”

At this point, Seb’s in a bit of a huff because I didn’t come to the hockey game that was never mentioned to me, Steve looks just a _tad_ frustrated, and I’m sitting across from this mess. I determine that it’s time for me to intervene.

“Look, I’m sorry Seb. Dad forgot to mention it to me, so I guess you’ll just have talk to him about it later. Now, how about you think about what you want for lunch? They have tons of stuff to choose from. AND I think Steve is trying to talk but you’re waffling over him, you dork. So instead how about you do a challenge?”

Seb’s eyes light up at my offer (Amy’s favourite distraction technique), “A challenge? What, what, what, what? I’ll show Steve how good I am at doing stuff!”

I nod, like I’m seriously considering the offer. Steve’s expression has dissolved to curiosity while I struggle to think of something that will interest an eight year old for longer than 2 minutes.

“Um, in the next 5 minutes, tell me how many um dogs that aren’t _erh_ brown walk past?”

It’s weak and Seb looks disappointed but he knows his mom will give money later if he completes it. He nods relatively reluctantly and begins a messy tally on his napkin. I turn to Steve and flash a smile. He returns the gesture, leans back in his chair, leans forwards again ( _boy,_ what are you _doing_?) and clears his throat.

“So, how are you? After all that.”

“Oh, I’m pretty good. Just, you now, _cruisin’_ through life. You?”

_Oh no, no, n O. CRUISIN’??!?! Do you own Heelys and/or are you a twelve year old boy from the 80s? No? THEN DO NOT USE YOU ‘CRUISIN’, YOU STALE BAGEL!_

“Oh life’s always interesting. Pretty good, yeah. Just got back from a missi-meeting! Big meeting! Really thrilling. Yup.”

Who is this suspicious dork and can someone come aid him please? He looks about ready to run which, while it would be amusing, should probably be avoided.

“Nessa, does that one count?”

“Um, yeah Seb, any brown.”

“Thanks Nessa. I’ve got 8 so far.”

“Good going, bud.”

“Do you like Brooklyn?”

Steve’s question is completely out of place and I stumbled across the attempt of an answer.

“Oh, um, yes. I, um, don’t spend as much time there as I’d like, but yeah. I used to come across the bridge from NYU when I could. I really do like it there though. Some parts of it feel like a real snapshot from the past, don’t they?”

At this moment, this awkward, seemly out of place, always slightly guarded man gives me a look that makes me feel like I know him. It’s happy, appreciative and hopeful, like I’ve given the right answer.

Following this train of thought, I jokingly say, “Wait, is this a test?”

Mid-sentence he freezes like I’ve announced my pregnancy and his very personal connection to the matter ( _WTF VANESSA, COULD YOU STOP, YOU THIRSTY PRETZEL_ ). He stares and stares….and stares. Either he’s psychic and just caught up with my nasty mojo, or I have missed something monumental. But soon enough, a light turns back on behind his eyes and his suspended animation ceases.

“Oh sorry. I… No, it’s not a test, it’s just…”a chuckle that sounds tired and out of practice barely reaches me before he continues, “I said something very similar a very long time ago. It just reminded me of long ago.”

“It can’t have been that long ago. C’mon, you’re 30, tops?” I try to keep it light because something very heavy rests in his voice, something that doesn’t match his air of calm.

Again he chuckles, but this time, it seems less real and more forced, “Yeah, something like that. But forget about all that, I was gonna tell you about Brooklyn. Born and bred here, things have really changed since I was a kid.”

“Did you leave?” Seb has distracted himself from his task long enough to become interested in the real world.

“Yeah, I did,” Steve seems sad again, but nostalgia and gratitude tinge its corners’ instead of anger, “I decided I want to see the world, and make a difference. So I left Brooklyn, and a lot of people who meant a lot to me, behind.”

“Did you do it?” My mutinous mouth, without asking my brain for permission, releases the stupid question.

“Did I do what?”

“Did you make a difference?”

GOD, what a STUPID and INSENSITIVE thing to say! You are an oaf, Vanessa Hughes, and you deserve to be confined to a-

“That’s the real question, innit? I don’t know, Vanessa.”

The sentence drops between us, and the city behind it seems to quieten. Steve hangs his head slightly, looking at his hands and everywhere that isn’t across the table. Even Sebastian looks up, realising that something that he doesn’t understand is afoot. Finally, Steve looks up and towards a spot that’s not quite my eyes and mutters a sentence that I almost miss.

“I hope so. Honestly, I hope so.”

* * *

 

The rest of the conversation flows relatively normally after that. Seb eventually gets bored, so he and Steve begin a game of table hockey while I attempted to continue a conversation. Brooklyn remains the central theme, which I just roll with, because why not? He seems happy enough to talk about it, and Sebastian is so entertained by the stories that he’s only spoken about twice in the last 5 minutes. Eventually, I find myself leaning forward slightly, absorbed in stories of Steve and this dude Bucky, when my phone goes off loudly. Everyone at the table starts, the noise piercing the dreamlike exchange, before I reach for the phone.

“Oh cRAP! We have to go LIKE NOW. Seb, grab your stuff! Steve, I’m so sorry, but I told Dad that I’d have Seb back about half an hour ago. Crap, crap, crap!”

Everyone moves immediately, Steve apologising about keeping us so late (Steve, please, no) and Seb complaining about ‘stupid dad’ and his ‘stupid aunts’. I drop the money onto the table, signal the waitress, and start walking back to the car. Steve and Seb talk as we walk, the former listening intently as the latter explains that he’s supposed to see his auntie this afternoon. We reach the car, and Seb jumps in straightaway, after a quick goodbye, which leaves the two of us. ( _C’MON BAGEL, LET’S DO THIS._ )

“Well this was fun. _(Are you actually a dumbass Vanessa?_ ) It was really interesting hearing about your friend, he seems like a really funny guy.”

Steve nods, smiles, and rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. I take this as my cue to leave, so I begin stepping backwards until he actually starts talks.

“We should do this again. Just, um, maybe without Sebastian next time…”

_Oh._

_Oh ok._

_Oh my._

“Yeah. That’d… That’d be nice. I’d like that.”

_This is not a late night soap opera, stop sounding like the soppy love interest._

He just nods again, smiles (he seems to do a lot of this), and looks down at his feet.

“I guess I’ll see you around then. I’ll try to call you sometime next week.”

“Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll see you ‘round.”

_You are a mildly soggy fish, I swear._

I turn around and try to gracefully get into my car (which I fail at, unsurprisingly). I start the car and wave at Steve before I reverse out on to the street. Seb is bouncing (again) and as I drive away, I can’t help but pause for a moment and wave again. He doesn’t actually wave in response, but he gives us a smile that make me want to turn back. But then he walks away and the city’s crush absorbs his figure.


End file.
